Pro Pocket Size TOO Small for 9 Ball

9 Ball was way more exciting in the 90s. Give me 5" pockets, rack for your opponent in the standard way. I want to see that wing ball flying in when the "sweet" spot is found, and packages put together.

If I could run some of the pool world:

9 ball, banks, and straight pool would be played on 9 ft old school Gold Crowns with buckets.

One Pocket and banks on 4.5" Diamonds.

No carbon fiber shafts.

No jump cues.
Way more exciting, that's why we had so many live events you could watch anywhere in the world, and why the pro tours were so lucrative.
 
i don't give a rats ass what the pro's decide to play on. pro pool is only exciting when you have exciting players, not boring ones.

what bothers me is all the average players immediately want to emulate the pros and start demanding their equipment matches it.
ruins even going to the pool room.
All the B, C, and D players love the tight pockets🤪
 
Here's what they do to control/check pocket size for snooker. They have a larger problem than pool because the facings are curved.


And yet the players say that the tables in the Chinese events are considerably looser and that the tables for the majors in the UK are tighter than the regular UK tour events.

Maybe the Chinese fitters don’t use the template, but I don’t know what the answer is for the UK events.
 
All the B, C, and D players love the tight pockets

The key to me is that WNT events are played with new cloth and balls. 4” pockets with new cloth is way different than worn cloth and dirty balls.

So a pool hall puts in super tight pockets and for 2 weeks it’s cool. Then the table gets worn and even great players aren’t running out.
 
I happen to like watching the best players navigate the run outs and safety play on today's equipment. It separates the men from the boys.

The different games and match lengths add variety to the mix. My only objections are ball colors with the WNT events and playing open table in Eight Ball after making a ball on the break - WPA. "Take what you make" adds a higher level of skill to the game. Open table makes it pretty much a foregone conclusion after a ball is made on the break. It makes it a breaking contest.
 
I agree. Playing on a table with 4 inch isn't fun.
Four inchers changes the entire game and I'm not all for that.
4'' or less.... was/has always been gambler conditions.
Add that + one quarter inch it then makes the game a sport.!
Small pockets makes player actions robotic.
 
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IMHO I think there has to be a balance and it's not all pocket size, the angle of the facings make a huge difference, I don't want to see pockets that swallow the balls even when you're way off but not so tight that every game turns into a safety battle, two balls should not fit in the pocket, I love the strategy and risk elements of the game, 4 1/4" pockets that have facings that don't allow big errors to go is the best of both worlds, it forces the player to gamble on making the shot or playing the safety which is now a little harder to do because you have to play better position on your safety, watching how different players choose to play those shots is interesting to me, when you take those elements away even a player a little above a novice knows the safety is almost always the best choice, I don't think we would ever have seen the Z shot in competition with the pockets of today......
 
Players get their game to where they can just step on the gas and drive.
I have no such concerns. Stick, balls, pockets - all constant; even cloth to a certain extent.
What's the problem? Smaller is better; further, required of anyone puts out a player shingle.

The real issues are real estate, landlords, over pop, the usual.
 
part of the problem is today's mindset is all 9 ball, and what is best for that. pool was never about just 9 ball.

granted for top players, super tight pockets may make more sense for 9 ball. and maybe all games.

for anyone say less than 700 speed it ruins the game. or at least changes it.

no longer can you really play good position off a bank or a long shot without almost being sure of missing it.

a good pool room might have a couple tight pocket tables for those that chose it. but for the masses and even gamblers 5 inch or 4.75 pockets work the best for a pool room.
 
and as jay said open table in 8 ball is a joke. take what you make is what always worked. top players run out every game in that scenario.

it would be like 9 ball, where would you get to shoot at any ball first if you make one on the break before you have to go in rotation.

and as mentioned but not mentioned enough. all these changes may work for tournaments for pros on tournament tables with new setups.

but fail miserably on pool room tables with worn cloth. and of course non pros.
 
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